


Upgrade

by catboyzanee (SLUSH_IE)



Category: Be More Chill - Iconis/Tracz, mystreet
Genre: Alternate Universe, Be More Chill au, F/M, Gen, ITS FROM JAPAN, Implied Sexual Content, In which zane is pining after nana but it all goes wrong, OOC, Phoenix Drop High - Freeform, dont do drugs kids, well I mean technically it isn't drugs
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-04
Updated: 2020-12-08
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:08:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,446
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27873566
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SLUSH_IE/pseuds/catboyzanee
Summary: Zane Ro'Meave is your average sixteen-year-old outcast: the black haired, emo weirdo who had no friends other than the werewolf alpha. But when Gene tells him of a pill he can take that will allow him to join the Shadow Knights (and even get his crush to like him back), his life changes.Be More Chill MyStreet AU!
Relationships: Kawaii~Chan & Katelyn (MyStreet), Kawaii~Chan/Dante (MyStreet), Kawaii~Chan/Zane Ro'Meave, Michi & Ivy (MyStreet), Travis & Dante (MyStreet), Zane Ro'Meave & Aphmau, Zane Ro'Meave & Ein (MyStreet), Zane Ro'Meave & Gene (MyStreet), Zane Ro'Meave & Ivy (MyStreet), Zane Ro'Meave/Michi (MyStreet)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 9





	1. More Than Survive

**Author's Note:**

> This is an AU based off of the musical Be More Chill. Because of this, the characters may be a bit OOC. There will also be some characters from FCU appearing!  
> I will not be writing that...scene that happens with Chloe and Jeremy. It will be replaced with something else.  
> You do not need to know about the musical to read this story, but it will help you understand it more.
> 
> Jeremy: Zane  
> Christine: Nana  
> Michael: Aphmau  
> Jake: Dante  
> SQUIP: Ein  
> Brooke: Michi  
> Chloe: Ivy  
> Jenna: Cathy  
> Rich: Gene

  
He sat in front of his computer, tapping his foot. "Come on, load..." he groaned at his laptop. A new episode of My Little Horsies came out yesterday, and he wasn't able to see it. Of course, the Wi-Fi just _had_ to be garbage at the only time he could watch it in secret. The clock was ticking. Soon, he would just have to give up and get ready for school. The boy slammed his laptop closed and stood up from his desk. He grabbed his school uniform and put it on, making sure he looked nice, but not _too_ nice.

Zane Ro'Meave—a sixteen-year-old student attending Phoenix Drop Highschool. The goth, the loser, the emotional wreck. He'd try his damn best to look cool, but it always ended up failing, especially when it came to the Shadow Knights. Ever since freshman year, he had wanted to join the trouble-making gang, much to everyone's dismay. Nobody took him seriously, and he really wanted to change that.

He walked into the bathroom to brush his teeth. He spat into the sink and washed out his mouth as his older brother Garroth walked in. "Morning baby brother," he said, walking towards the toilet and unzipping his pants.

"Uh, gross. Can't you wait until I leave?"

"Oh, please, we're all men in this house! Well, besides for Mommy...but that's beside the point. Just pretend we're in the army."

Zane rolled his eyes at his brother. He often found himself wondering why in Irene's name he was one of the most popular guys at school.

Garroth left the house earlier than Zane and their youngest brother, Vylad. Something about being a mentor for the newer freshmen attending the school. Of course he would volunteer for that - he was always the perfect star child; something Zane could never live up to. After eating breakfast, the two younger boys left the house, Vylad leaving to walk with some friends. He _should_ be in the grade below Zane, but due to his skill level, he was placed in the same grade. Yet another thing Zane could never do: be smart enough to skip a year of school.

His stomach filled with dread. He absolutely hated walking to school. It caused him to arrive sweaty and gross. But the bus was just as bad, with the number of people who stared and whispered about him. That could just be his low self-esteem talking, but he wouldn't be taking any chances.

Finally, he arrived at the huge school. Werewolves were yelling and running around, meif'wa were talking and perched in trees, and freshmen were terrified. Zane walked through the crowded hallways, nearly tripping over some stuck out legs or discarded pens. A group of girls stood in front of his locker, gossiping about something. He stood there awkwardly as they talked about how so-and-so hooked up with so-and-so after losing a bet.

One of the girls with neon pink hair turned to him, "What are you looking at?" Her eyes narrowed.

"I'm just trying to get to my locker," Zane muttered.

She tossed her long hair behind her shoulder, "That guy is so weird," she exclaimed to her shorter friend.

"I've literally never noticed him," the other said in a high-pitched voice. They walked away from Zane, leaving him fiddling with his locker.

He grumbled, unable to get the darn thing to open as the very person he wasn't expecting to see bumped into him. "Yo, don't touch me, dumbass!" Gene: the leader of the Shadow Knights. He smirked, grabbing a Sharpie from the ground and scribbling something on the boy's backpack, "You wash this off, you're dead."

Zane walked through the hallways, getting pushed or pulled every so often. So many people in such a small place caused him to sweat, especially with his dark mask pulled over his face. He finally got a breath of fresh air, immediately focusing on a piece of paper stuck to the wall. He curiously walked closer.

A sign-up sheet for the school play.

They had it every year: a classic Shakespeare play, performed by the students of the after-school theater class. Although he wasn't the best at acting, he'd always wanted to join it, especially since _that girl_ was in it. But that was social suicide. He'd be even more of an outcast. He shook his head, turning around to leave, when _the girl_ caught his eye.

Bubblegum pink hair cut in a bob. Black ears and a tail, decorated with bows. People thought she was weird. Zane thought she was beautiful.

They were polar opposites. She was a pink, hyper, go-lucky meif'wa and he was a dark, edgy, goth human. Yet he couldn't help but feel this attraction to her.

Nana Ashida was her name.

And she met his eyes.

He held his breath, waiting to be called out for staring, but she just pointed to him, "Um, excuse me? I think someone wrote ' _MAU_ ' on your backpack..?" 

Someone did indeed write on his backpack, and that was obviously Gene. He looked down at the bag hanging from his shoulder. There, in big black letters, ' _MAU_ '. What did that even mean?

Oh, right. Nana talked to him. _Nana talked to him._ His stomach was filled with butterflies, but his social awkwardness kicked in and he panicked. He sprinted away, Nana standing in the hall confused.

Zane mentally cursed at himself, ' _Nice going, dipshit. Now she thinks you're weird._ ' He groaned. He was such an idiot sometimes. ' _Just clear your brain and move ahead. Accept that you'll be a virgin until you die. No point in feeling sorry for yourself._ '

He walked into the cafeteria and went to sit at his usual table after buying some food. He lifted the PB&J sandwich to his mouth, but was interrupted by his best (and only) friend.

"Zane!" Aphmau collapsed into the seat next to him. "How are you?"

"I'm fine," he responded flatly, biting into the sandwich.

"Come on, what's wrong?"

He rolled his eyes, picking his backpack up from the ground. "' _MAU_ '? What does _that_ mean?"

She thought for a moment, then picked up her own bag. ' _ZANE_ ' was written across the top. She lined it up with his, spelling out ' _ZANEMAU_ '.

Oh, great. A ship name. "I hate this school," Zane pulled up his mask, hiding his pink cheeks and freckles.

"Me too," Aphmau sighed. "But hey, it's alright! Only two more years, mkay? Why try to be cool when you could be-"

"Signing up for the school play."

"I was gonna say playing Mario Kart in my basement, but-"

Zane shook his head and grabbed her shoulder, "No, look who's signing up for the school play." They looked across the cafeteria, their gazes landing on the familiar pink-haired girl.

Aphmau giggled, "Ooh, you're in love!"

"Shut up."

He stood up. What was he thinking? Where was this newfound confidence coming from? Irene, how much of an idiot has he become?

His body moved through the air as if it were in slow motion. His sneakers tapped against the tile floor. He took a shaky breath, and eventually, he stood in front of the paper on the wall. If Nana had signed, he could do the same, right? Even if people disliked her, he never saw anyone making fun of her. Would it be the same for him?

But immediately after he wrote ' _Zane Ro'Meave_ ' on the roster, the whole room erupted in laughter. Even his _brothers_. He frowned. He'd never be the cool guy. He'd always be left out. He'd never be the main character. He'd always be the quirky side character everyone hates.

With a sigh, the bell rang, signaling lunch to be over.


	2. Play Rehearsal

Zane stood outside of the auditorium. He sighed, hesitation in his movement.

"Look, you don't have to do this," Aphmau stood at his side for moral support. "Of course, I'll mock you forever if you don't. But I'll still love you, you lil' nugget."

"Wow, thanks," he adjusted his mask. "Alright." He took another gasp of air and walked inside, his eyes already landing on a girl seated in the front row. Nana, as always.

Zane calmly walked in but tripped on his shoes, letting out a yell as he stumbled through the room. Nana looked up from her phone, cocking her head. He cleared his throat, quickly brushing off the fact that he nearly fell flat on his face. "Is...this where you meet for the play?"

"No, it's where you meet for the swim team," she laughed. His face flushed with embarrassment and confusion. He looked around, making sure he was in the correct place. "I'm joking!" She smiled.

He burst out laughing, "Right! Funny! Uh- hi!" His muscles tensed as he sat in the seat next to her.

"Are...are you okay? You look really warm and nervous," Nana frowned.

"N-No. I always sweat this much."

She had a disgusted expression, but it relaxed as she realized. "Oh, I get it. You're a virgin."

He wanted to drop dead right then and there.

"First play rehearsal!" She giggled loudly, "It's okay. It's really hard at first, but it gets better as time goes on. Trust me, you'll love it!"

"I sure hope so..."

They sat there in awkward silence for what seemed like an eternity. Nana was practically jumping up and down in her seat, while Zane tried not to stare. She was just...so cute. "I can't wait to find out what play we'll be putting on," she broke the silence, causing Zane to jump. She looked back at him and her face softened, "Play rehearsal is like, the highlight of my life. Everything always goes according to plan, we can pretend to be different people, the first performance is always kind of tricky but we always manage to get through it!

"I get so sad after it ends. It's so fun and there are so many new people I get to meet and become friends with. Oh, did you see the performance of _Romeo and Juliet_ last year? That was my favorite. I met one of my best friends and I got to be a lead role," she sighed happily. Zane had a smile on his face. It was amazing to see Nana talk so much about what she loved. "Ah, why am I telling all of this to you?" Pink blushed her round cheeks.

She looked back down at her phone while more students trickled in, talking loudly and pushing each other. A tall, middle-aged man walked in from backstage. He had light blue hair and a big scruffy beard. "Hello, kids! My name is Mr. Eric," he had a loud voice. "I'm also Katelyn's father."

A girl in the back groaned.

"I have been dreaming of the day that I get to stage William Shakespeare's classic _A Midsummer Night's Dream_...and today that dream dies," Nana's look of hopefulness disappeared from her face as Mr. Eric paced the room. "The school won't be funding the theater if we don't put on a show-stopping number, so we had to make a few changes to the play. Ones that the kids nowadays will love! That's why our production will be set in a post-apocalyptic future! Instead of frolicking with fairies, there will be fleeing from zombies."

Nana frowned, "But, sir! Don't you care about Shakespeare's original work?"

The teacher's daughter, Katelyn, leaned forward to talk, "Nana, there's no point in arguing with him. He's too stubborn. _I really hate it too_ , but if this is the only way we can keep the theater department..."

"Now then," Mr. Eric resumed, "let's take a five-minute break! I skipped lunch today, so I'm starving..." he walked away, leaving the students to mingle amongst themselves.

Zane stayed in his seat, watching as Nana frowned and scrolled through her phone once again.

"Hey." A voice came from behind her. She turned to see a tall blue-haired boy smiling down at her. "Weren't you in that play last year?"

"You mean _Romeo and Juliet_?"

"Yeah! You were the girl who died."

"You mean Juliet?"

He sat down in the seat next to her, Zane trying not to scowl. He knew this guy—Dante. He was known for his charming personality and how he could woo nearly any girl. "Yep. That was depressing."

"Thanks."

"But you were good. _Really_ good. When you died, that was one of the saddest things I felt in a long time. Then when you got back up at the end for your victory dance–"

"Bow."

"–I remember thinking ' _I'm glad that girl's not dead before I got the chance to know her._ ' Stupid, right?"

Her face was warming up, "N-No! That's not stupid at all! That's really sweet."

Dante smiled back, "A couple of my friends and I are going out tonight. You should join us."

She nodded as Dante stood to leave. She stared at him with a goofy smile on her face.

Zane moved closer to her, "Hey, I saw this thing online about how–"

"I'm sorry, did you say something?" Nana turned her head to him.

"Uh, no, it's nothing. Forget it," he grabbed his bag and stood up, avoiding eye contact. ' _Stupid. Of course she's falling for Dante, who wouldn't? You're nothing compared to him._ '


	3. SQUIP

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter, I'm sorry! I'm trying to write these chapters broken up into the scenes of the original musical, so there may be some short ones or long ones. This one's fairly short.

Zane stood in front of the sink, furiously scrubbing at his backpack.

"Oh, I thought I told you _not_ to wash that off," Gene appeared behind him, leaning on a wall.

He jumped, fumbling to open his backpack and rummage through it, "N-No, I'm just trying to find my homework! I have to turn it in next class and I haven't finished it," he stuttered.

The other boy rolled his eyes, beginning to tag a wall with the Shadow Knight's logo, "The only thing more pathetic is the way you're sneaking off to a stall to get away from me. C'mon, get over here."

He reluctantly walked back to the boy, standing far from him. He had a lot of thoughts on his mind, but there was one thing that was bugging him. "I just don't understand why all of you are doing the play. Isn't that off-brand for you guys?"

"Michi is doing it because of Ivy. Ivy is doing it because of Garroth. Garroth is doing it because of you. And you know why Dante is doing it. Same reason as you, right?" he smirked and walked back to admire the graffiti he had painted on.

"Then why are you?"

"I have my reasons," he started to walk away before collapsing into the wall, letting out a scream of pain.

Zane's eyes widened, "Holy shit," He stood there in shock, before attempting to sneak out of the room.

"Don't move," Gene yelled. He gripped his head in pain then cracked his knuckles, "Do you remember me in freshman year?"

"You didn't go here in freshman–"

" _I did_. You just didn't notice. Nobody did," he let out a sigh. "I was a total _loser_ back then. I was so small and would always get picked on. Dante was the one getting all the girls and stuff. I was hopeless," he grunted, more pain returning to his head as he backed Zane into a corner. "Every time I walked the hallways, I would trip. Irene, I contemplated offing myself a few times," a smile formed on his face. "Then a little friend of mine told me about something called a _SQUIP_ ," Gene walked back towards the mirror, looking at himself.

Zane stared in confusion, "I've never heard of that."

"That's the point. Look, this is some top-secret, can't-even-look-it-up-on-the-Internet shit."

He shook his head, "That's impossible."

"Oh, but it _is_ possible," his neck twitched. "It's this thing from Japan. A little pill you take with Mountain Dew. There's a tiny computer in it, which travels through your blood until it implants in your brain and tells you what to do and how to do it," he glanced over at the frightened Zane. "Look, I'm sorry for treating you like human garbage all the time. I only did it because my SQUIP said I had to. But now, it's saying you aren't such a bad guy," he smirked, leaning against the sink, "that you may want a SQUIP of your own."

"You sound crazy."

"I know, I know. But look at me. Did you know that my hair used to be blond? Look at my shirt. I didn't know this band existed until last week, and now I can recite all of their songs without listening to a single one. If you wanna get one of these SQUIPs, I have a guy. He works at a Payless at the Phoenix Drop Mall. It's only 600 bucks."

He was taken aback, " _600_? For, what, drugs?"

"It's better than drugs, Zane. It's amazing. I couldn't live without it. You could rule the world if you wanted to." Gene grabbed the backpack, still faint letters spelling ' _MAU_ ' on it. "Y'know how you lied to me about having homework to finish? Well, picture this: whenever you showed up to school late, nobody would care. Or if you forgot your homework, you'd be off the hook," he laughed. " _Maybe it could even help you join the Shadow Knights._ "

Zane took a breath of anticipation. This has got to be a prank, right? Gene would never willingly offer someone advice on how to join his gang.

"Plus, you could get back at my bro for stealing your girl. $600, Zane. You're sad now, but just wait," he paused. "Don't you want to live up to your family's expectations?"

How did he know about that?

"...you better not be scamming me, Gene."


	4. Two-Player Game

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof, and I thought the last one was short. Damn. Hopefully the next chapter will be better?

The pair sat on two bean bags in front of a small TV, game controllers in hand. Aphmau stuck her tongue out as she rounded the corner in-game, looking out for the monsters inside the dungeon. Zane, on the other half of the screen, was dying to a boss.

"So? What do you think?" Zane spoke up and paused the game.

Aph shook her head, "He's scamming you. Don't you remember the horrible things he's done to us both in the past? And now he's just gonna act like it never happened? We both know Gene isn't trustworthy."

"But what if he's not? This could change everything. All I have to do is give Gene...$600. Irene, I'm an idiot," he sighed. " _At the time_ , it seemed like a good idea. Maybe it still is?" He let out a loud groan and unpaused the game, "I really am just gonna be the loser for the rest of my life."

"Hey, brighten up. At least you'll still have me, right? And you're brothers. They love you, you know that?"

" _Doesn't seem like it._ "

Aphmau frowned. They sat in silence for a while, the sounds of button-clicking and sound effects filling the room. Somewhere upstairs, a door opened and thudding footsteps echoed into the basement. Two voices—a man and a woman—started yelling loudly at each other. She cringed, waiting for yet another door slam.

"Are they–"

"They're just fighting again."

"Do you wanna..."

"No, I'm fine. Besides, don't you already have some stuff to worry about?" She paused the game once again, causing Zane to roll his eyes. He could _easily_ tell her parents didn't have a great relationship. It pained him to know she was going through her own problems as well.

"Gene said there's a guy who works at Payless. What if we went there ourselves, just to make sure his story checks out?" He proposed.

"Are you sure about this? You aren't one to rush into things, unless..." she paused. "This is about Nana, isn't it?"

"Not _only_ her! Come on, Aph. This could finally let me prove to my parents that I'm not just some anti-social kid who's going through his goth phase. I could actually _be_ someone," he looked down at his fidgeting hands.

Her face softened. She knew him. She knew he was always the least favored child. She knew his parents loved him, but never expected much from him. She knew that he often wondered if he even deserved to be a Ro'Meave.

He needed this.

"Even if you don't do this," she began, "you'll always be my best friend. Even if you're the loser, geek, or whatever. High school is _crap_. We're almost to our last year, then it'll get better. I promise."

Zane smiled. "Thanks, Aphmau."

He had made his decision. He'd go to the mall with Aphmau and they'd make sure Gene wasn't lying. 

All she hoped was that he wouldn't forget about her.


End file.
